1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for converting wave motion to useable energy and more particularly to an apparatus for harnessing the energy of ascending waves to drive a lift-force pump.
2. Prior Art
Man has long sought to harness the energy of wave motion and to convert it to a useable energy form. Prior art systems for utilizing the energy of ocean waves to generate power have generally been of three types. The first uses a float which rises and falls with the motion of the ocean waves while converting this motion to useable energy. Examples of these apparatus are found in U.S. Pat. No. 616,467, to S. H. Jones and in U.S. Pat. No. 1,244,309, to W. C. Fox. Other prior art devices, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,967 to S. H. Salter, attempt to harness the energy of the incoming waves by providing structures which are rotated by the movement of the waves with the resulting rotation being converted into useable energy. Other syetems, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 1,766,457, to C. H. Ruth, provide systems for converting the energy embodied in the rising and falling of tides to drive a water pump.
These devices have failed to harness any significant proportion of the available energy of wave motion primarily because of their failure to properly apply basic physics tenets relating to the lifting forces provided by a buoyant object. Thus, while the prior art systems have tapped a small portion of the energy embodied in ocean wave motion, they have been only moderately successful because of their failure to extract the maximum energy available from wave motion.